This invention relates generally to oil production equipment and more particularly concerns separators for removing gas from oil and for preventing gas lock in an oil well production line.
Present gas separators employ inlet pipes with drilled or cut radial holes or slots for the admission of gas entrained fluid into the separator. Typical gas separators have an efficiency ranging from 15 to 40%. Their efficiency is generally inversely related to the quantity of fluid they process. The industry also uses "knockers" which jar the pump in order to prevent gas lock. These devices are generally made of exotic metal and are, therefore, comparatively expensive. Furthermore, despite the greater materials expense, their moving parts demonstrate a high rate of fatigue and failure. Other devices employ springs or other tension mechanisms to assist in the operation of the gas ports. However, these mechanisms are subject to corrosion and collapse. Back pressure valves have also been used to maintain the gas in a constant state of motion, but this solution increases the number of moving and changeable parts and therefore increases ordinary maintenance as well as failure down time.
All of the known separators rely to a great extent on gravity as the sole separating force. While some of the entrained gas may be separated from the fluid at the edges of the inlets to the separator, this contribution to separation is minimal.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which requires no moving parts. Another object of this invention is to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which has a relatively high efficiency. A further object of this invention is to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which does not require jarring of the pump in normal operation. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which takes advantage of gravitational forces in the separation process. It is also an object of this invention to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which increases the effectiveness of shear forces in the separation process. Still another object of this invention is to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which uses centrifugal force as an aid to the separation process. An additional object of this invention is to provide a gas separator for an oil well production line which subjects the gas entrained fluid to centrifugal force without the use of moving parts.